


If not now, when?

by england_is_mine



Category: Arctic Monkeys, Last Shadow Puppets
Genre: Engagement, Fluff, M/M, this is shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/england_is_mine/pseuds/england_is_mine
Summary: Miles works up the courage to propose to Alex.
Relationships: Miles Kane/Alex Turner
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	If not now, when?

**Author's Note:**

> Been a while. I had a burst of creativity cause I’ve never done an engagement and mustered this today. Call Me By Your Name as an inspiration. Highly recommend for all your tragic gay love fantasies.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @england-is-mine 
> 
> This is a work of fiction. Although resemblance to real people is implied, any actions they depict are not real. Their privacy must be respected at all times.

Miles had bought a ring. It was silver, slightly thinner than a wedding band but not too thin either, perfectly shaped to hold tiny diamonds smooth around its circumference. It had been a nightmare getting here, he thought, and not only in the figurative sense. Shopping for a ring in public proved to be an anxious nightmare, the thought of someone recognising him as well as the so called ‘shopping assistants’ that could not comprehend that the ring was for another man. Nevertheless, it was here now. In his hands, accompanied by a royal blue velvet box. He was thankful that Alex wasn’t on social media, but also thankful that he was completely and utterly clueless when it came to this stuff. 

Granted, this was expected. After a long conversation four years ago Alex decided he wanted to be married before forty and on the way to having children. It was hard for him- feeling like he’d wasted so much time for their relationship and the guilt that comes with it, too. Of course Miles didn’t care, -to him they had all the time in the world- but now felt like the right time. A seventh Monkeys album done, fourth solo for himself, third Puppets… now felt good, he thought, standing in their London home gazing outside the window.

Alex came into view in the garden, who was settling down to read a book in the summer heat. Miles thought that he was in every way flawless. Skin perfect, hair perfect. Body perfect, too. The sun gave Miles some ideas on how he might propose. They had talked about having a break after the tours, but never planned anything. He wanted to play this subtle. He hid the box, before going downstairs to grab a vodka and coke to join his boyfriend. 

“Hiya, doll.” He uttered, accent shining through. He combed his hands through Alex’s hair for a second, kissing him on the forehead before sitting down next to him. The plants were growing a bit too tall recently.

“Hi babe,” Al smirked back, nose heavy in his book. Miles could tell he didn’t want to be disturbed, so he sat in peace for a while, finishing his drink and taking in the sun. “You okay?” Alex eventually asked, having finished the paragraph he was on.

“Yeh, am I disturbing ya?” 

“No, not at all,” Alex grinned, sunglasses slipping down his nose.

“Just came to sunbathe.” Miles lied, heading for the comfort of the grass. Alex watched him get comfortable. “Have ya  _ ever _ had a gardener?” Miles joked.

“Have I shite. That is  _ some _ rich people shit,” Alex turned the page.

“You are rich people,” Miles smiled, head in the clouds. Alex ignored him, and was back to his book.

Half an hour or so went by, and Alex was getting slightly worried for Miles’ skin, or that he had fallen asleep on the ground. 

“Miles?” 

“Hm?”

“Sun cream.” He said, getting up to go and help him. Miles sat up slowly to the demand, and sat up even straighter when Alex started working his fingers into his thighs. Alex giggled at Miles’ sensitivity. They often joked about it, late at night. How Alex could barely touch Miles without making him hot and bothered. 

“You’re right,” Alex blurted, moving to sit behind Miles so that he could start massaging his neck and arms. “It is a bit overgrown here. Maybe we should move,” to which Miles nodded. 

They had outgrown it. The place was authentically Alex’s from the beginning, covered in his memorabilia and personal style- if by that you mean refusing to hire any form of painter-decorator folks and leaving things lying around. They had discussed a place of their own and had dreamt of a cozy place somewhere on the Wirral where Miles was born. That way their kids didn’t have to grow up Southern, American or air-polluted. But for now, Miles had other ideas. 

“You don’t wanna relax first? House hunting seems rather stressful,” he hinted, hoping Al would take the bait.

“Hm, yeah, we should go away first, have a holiday. Chill out,” Alex remarked as his head rested on Miles’ back and arms wrapped around his waist.  _ Perfect,  _ Miles thought to himself. But where? There were so many places they wanted to go. “Brazil, Cuba, India, Italy, the rest of Europe…” Alex finished the thought. A few places they had been for work, but never for fun. “We should do a week everywhere. Plan as we go. Y’know, before we have little monsters nailing us to the U.K forever,” he chuckled, and Miles joined in. He was right. Why not have it all, when you could?

A bird landed on the fence. Sweat was forming tiny droplets on Alex’s forehead, and glistening on Miles’. 

“But we should finish somewhere nice an’ romantic, y’know.” Miles said, trying desperately not to give the game away.

“Uh-huh. Like Greece.” Alex thought. 

“Like Greece.” Miles finished, tearing grass apart in his hands.

-

And so time came and went, escaping them like sand between fingers. They had seen it all and more, with plenty of intimacy in between. Moments you only get once in a lifetime. So many ‘I love yous’ mixed with sunburn, and plenty of alcohol, too. Alex thought about it on a balcony in Greece. The air was warm and the sky was dark, lit with stars. A young boy drove past down below on a moped into the city streets down a steep hill. It was quiet, and Miles was in the bathroom getting ready for their date. They had only arrived a few days prior and were lucky enough to get the best couples’ suite. The Greeks were good like that, and Alex certainly felt comfortable here with Miles. 

He tapped his fingers on the railing separating him from the ground below. Maybe he thought it was finally time to let go. Of the guilt, and the shame. Of his constant need to seek validity from Miles, of his anxiety in front of the camera. Of everything- because he had all he needed right here with him, and it was only five letters long. 

_ “I like the way you say my name,” Miles said, leaning on his elbow and wrapped in sheets. His face was only somewhat visible with how dark it was- you could see the shape of his jaw, his nose maybe. “Miles,” he imitated Alex, sitting back on the pillow now. “Miles. You always extend the ‘i.’” _

“Ready?” He came in, looking gorgeous as ever and a smile plastered on his face.

“As ever,” Alex replied. 

-

_ If not now then when. If not now then when. If not now then when.  _

It was all that was on Miles’ mind. The waves were crashing against the rocks below. The taste of pasta faintly disappearing from his palate. The wine slipping down his throat. Nothing made the tension fade. Alex was looking away to the beach, his heart and stomach full. It was a quiet night, hardly anyone around. A couple a few seats behind them. A family inside the restaurant. Not much else.

Alex had been ecstatic all night. Filled with smiles, beaming at Miles every chance he got, and pouring his heart out about how special everything was. It was unusual coming from him. Miles had done a good job of playing it cool. He would say yes- there was no other option. He was probably expecting it, in fact. Miles was more concerned with falling over or messing up his words. Not like he had anything prepared. 

“Goin’ the toilet babe,” he announced, which gave him plenty of time to stand up, straighten his shirt out and shove a hand in his pocket to retrieve the ring. Luckily, Alex had only murmured an okay whilst being preoccupied watching with a nearby cat. The time was now. He moved away from his chair and got down on one knee, reaching for Alex’s hand. The older man’s head had snapped around in shock, followed quickly by a smile stretching across his face. His other hand had made its way to his mouth, overcome with emotion. “I’m no good with words, as y’ know… but I’ll keep it brief.” Miles wasn’t aware of how much he was clutching Alex’s hand with his, or how sudden his emotions had crept up on him. His eyes never left Alex’s. “I love you. So much. And I want you in my life forever, ‘till the end, so… what do y’ say? Will you marry me Alex?”

Alex beamed and nodded profusely, climbing out of his chair as Miles got up from the floor. Miles wrapped his arms around Alex to lift him up off the ground slightly. “I love you too,” Alex smiled into Miles’ neck as he was put down, before pulling away to meet brown eyes- his arms thrown over the taller man’s shoulders. “A million times yes,” he grinned, voice deep. There was a small applause from the staff and the couple sitting near them, and Alex blushed like mad. One man whistled. Champagne and cake was coming. Nothing felt better. They sat back down. 

“I can’t believe it. I actually can’t…” Alex babbled, eyes lined with tears, confusion and shock. He never imagined that this would happen to him. The happy ending. It wasn’t normally his style. It felt nice being proposed to- different from how he’d ever imagined it could be. Yet here they were- fingers interlocking across the table and here Alex was, forcing out of Miles every little detail about the planning process. 

Afterwards, they would walk on the beech. Miles would carry him to the apartment, laughing the whole way. Alex would laugh, too- for the rest of his life.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> No shade to Londoners or Americans lol


End file.
